NBC3 taps DuDell to broaden its Bay Area outreach

SAN JOSE, CA: NBC's Bay Area affiliate has picked DuDell & Associates as agency of record.

NBC3 decided to move past its relationship with PRx, which helped the station deal with several issues surrounding its acquisition by NBC earlier this year.

"We wanted an agency with a broader scope," said Blake Bryant, NBC3's VP of creative services, programming, and consumer marketing. "I have nothing bad to say about PRx. They did a good job working with us during the transition time."

When NBC purchased the station, it moved its affiliation from KRON, which had always been NBC's Bay Area station. That move, and the fact that many Bay Area residents could not pick up the new NBC affiliate, created major PR issues for the network. Many viewers were confused about where to find NBC programming, while many others couldn't pick up NBC3.

Bryant said NBC3 selected DuDell because of the great work the agency did in promoting its coverage of the Olympics and developing viewing parties for residents who could not pick up the new station.

"They did great work from a marketing perspective, as well as from a community outreach standpoint," said Bryant. "They also have a great reputation and knowledge of the Bay Area."

DuDell president Laura DuDell said her agency will provide media relations, event promotion and community outreach services.

"We really want to get them out there and be involved with the various counties on a grassroots level," said DuDell.

That's key, added Bryant, because the Bay Area needs to see NBC3 not just as an affiliate of NBC, but as an outlet "that can give a voice to the diverse community that is the Bay Area."